Made in the Wiregrass: LMC Manufacturing

Blue Diamond, Birdsong Peanuts, Jif, and Planters are all major peanut producers in the US. They use the same equipment from small town, USA. Now it’s time for a history lesson, so let’s take a trip to Donalsonville, Georgia. The year is 1941.

“A group of people came to him wanting to know if he could build a peanut sheller and peanut shelling equipment and he began the process there,” said L. Marcus Carter III.

From an early age, Henry Marcus Carter concentrated on other people's needs. Farmers needed a way to shell their peanuts, so Carter, the mechanic, with a small welding shop set out on finding a way. Fast forward 20 years and Lewis M. Clark bought his father’s company. He began the innovation process that is still the basis of LMC today.

“We don't build just one type of equipment; we build an entire system to process peanuts, grains, almonds, all types of commodities,” said Carter.

Now in the hands of the 3rd and 4th generation, just about everything is made under this roof. The raw sheet metal arrives to the plant where you'll find everything from welding machines to lasers, even robots.

“Well it naturally fits for agriculture. This kind of the hub of the peanut industry in the United States,” said Carter.

LMC is all about innovation—bigger, better, and moving forward. It took more than that to grow the company from 10 employees to 150-plus and from serving the tri-state, to serving the world. It's good ol' southern values that push the employees.

“We are still a small family-owned business you know we can get stuff done without a big bureaucracy,” said Mike Woodall, the production manager.

“Lewis and Marcus…they promote a family atmosphere. It is just a really family-oriented company that’s interested in the people. You are not a number, you are a name,” said Gordon Carpenter, CFO.

Workers come from all over the tri-state area and they are internationally known as the peanut-processing people.

“You are a person here, you're not just punching a clock somewhere,” said Woodall.

Employees say being a name and a face moves them forward to find new technology and new ideas. The family values extend far beyond the plant.

“I think our whole deal here is you know we are alongside with the farmer and we are trying to feed the world is what we are doing,” said Carter.

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